Painting as Installation art. Artist focused on painting installations that already exist on location, instead of building new ones from scratch. This painting practice requires trespassing and hiring a bodyguard. The "Workplace Series" provides commentary on disappearing American industries due to outsourcing.

"Workplace Paintings"

"Transition", 200972 X 48 inches, oil on canvas

"Seam", 200984 x 71 inches, oil on canvas

The subject of this painting was about trying to hide a seam running vertically down the center of the picture plane. ("Seam" was painted on a large, linen drop cloth (with a seam). The town in which the artist was living was completely out of stock of artist-grade canvas. Therefore, the entire composition of this painting was formulated to hide the vertical seam.

"Seam Study", 200948 x 24 inches, oil on silk

"Armour Night", 48 x 36 inches, 2009

This painting was painted at dusk before it got too dangerous to hang out. (Edgar, the artist's bodyguard, was also uncomfortable painting on location late.)

"Painting on Dust", 72 x 84 inches, 2010oil on felt

"Painting on Dust" Detail of Edgar, (Tower's bodyguard)oil on felt

"Mouse Trap", 48 x 72, 2010oil on canvas

"Mousetrap Study", 2010oil on fabric

"Sleeping Dog, 72 x 82 inches, 2010oil on canvas

The first version of this painting the artist lost when a cable snapped on her truck going over the Mississippi River in 2010. The painting flew off the bridge and was never seen again.

Detail of Buster from"Sleeping Dog"

"Put Out", 67 x 79 inches, 2010oil on canvas

"Put Out", the opposite of "Output"

Detail of black cat in "Put Out"

Photo by Joe Epstein

Tower working on "Put Out" in the rain, February, '09, East Saint Louis, IL

"Maintenance Walk", 60 x 60 inches, 2010 oil on canvas

"Crumble", 17 x 24 inches, 2009oil on canvas

"Husked", 200968 X 72, oil on canvas

"Husked" refers to the corn cob husks depicted in this painting, lying on the factory floor, situating this scene in the Corn belt.

"Husked" also refers to the environment having been "husked", or "stripped bare" by scrappers as a consequence of economic deterioration.

Racks2006Oil on canvas

Painted at 56 Sourth 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY, the artist's old studio from which she was evicted for the second time due to neighborhood gentrification.

Surge2008enamel on dropcloth56"x 62"

I was living in the Midwest for several years and visiting New York without my oil paint. Curator Matt Gosser, knowing I am fond of painting Industrial sites in situ, gave me the tip to the New Jersey Site and mentioned it was about to be demolished the following week. I had previously scheduled a visit to the Whitney Biennial with art critic, Anthony Haden-Guest; having only a limited time in the tri-state area. I mentioned to Haden-Guest that I'd rather paint than see the biennial and the two of us decided to visit the Westinghouse site instead of the Whitney Biennial that year. Haden-Guest and myself rode the Path out to New Jersey and found the Westinghouse plant a short distance from the train tracks. We proceeded to climb through a second story window of the factory. (Art-critic Anthony Haden-Guest was around 70 at the time.) Once inside, I painted while he snooped around. We returned to Manhattan after several hours. I left the painting in the factory to dry, headed to the airport, and curator Matt Gosser, retrieved the painting for me, titled "Surge" and exhibited it in his "Westinghouse" show in 2008.

Plum2008Enamel on canvas48" x 36"

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents. Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

Collapse2008Enamel on canvas40" x 30"

Meltdown2008enamel on canvas48" x 36"

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents. Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents. Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

Detail of Edgar

Edgar Carter, born and raised in East Saint Louis, has been Cindy Tower's bodyguard since 2006. He has appeared several times in paintings by Tower and is also featured in her film, "Breaking, Entering and Painting".

Frick2008oil and enamel on canvas72"x48"

Painted at Armour site

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents. Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

Frick detail

Colored Ghosts2008enamel on fabric44"x 72"

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents. Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

Colored Ghosts Detail

Spiral Ribbed2007Oil on upholstery material45 x 77

Painted in Leadington, MO at Federal Mill #3

Spiral Ribbed Detail

Gizzard2007Oil on Upholstery Material43 x 70

Painted inside Federal Mill #3, Leadington, MO

Gizzard Detail

"Gizzard" actually depicts a giant grinding machine that acts like a gizzard in a bird. It crushes rocks to extract the lead minerals.

Big Wheel2008oil on canvas41"x32"

Painted in Brooklyn, IL

Big Wheel detail

Scrappers' Rainbow End2008enamel on canvas72" x 48"

The defunct factory environment becomes a goldmine for scrappers. Scrappers in an economic decline are the equivalent of canaries in a coal mine.

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents.

Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

Scrappers' Rainbow End Detail

FloaterOil on upholstery material

Painted in Leadington, MO at Federal Mill #3

Floater Detail

Depiction of floatation tanks in a lead mine.

"Passage", 201072 x 68 inches, oil on canvas

Painted in memory of Al Philips, designer of the Katherine Dunham Museum, East Saint Louis, IL, the month he died 7/11, at age 49.

"Brooklyn Armour", 200564 x 96 inches, oil on canvas

Mine2008Enamel on canvas36" x 46"

Exterior of a lead mine entrance. Painted at Federal Mill #3, MO

For a few years, Tower switched mediums (from working with artist-grade oil paint to left-over, industrial-grade paint salvaged from dumpsters). Paint was applied more loosely, devoid of thickening agents. Tower felt the melting of painting surfaces mirrored the economy's deterioration and said, "I feel as though I am painting the actual recession itself" (with the looser paint handling).

Detail Mine

Faccade2008oil on fabric29" x 40"

Detail Faccade

Double2008oil and enamel on fabric72"x36"

Painted in Brooklyn, IL (adjacent to East Saint Louis)

Double detail showing side view

Christmas2005Oil on canvas68 x 72

Painted aboard the S.S. Diamond State, Port of Houston, TX

Christmas Detail

Acid Yellow2006oil on canvas48"x36"

Painted in Brooklyn, IL at Armour site

American 8002007Oil on canvas30 x 20

Behind Shu Feng Restaurant, Saint Louis, MO

Artist painting S.S. Diamond State, Port of Houston, TX2005

Ship Eyes2005Oil on Canvas42 x 38

Painted aboard the S.S. Diamond State, Port of Houston, TX

Artist painting aboard S.S. Diamond State2005

Suct2005Oil on canvas35 x 41

Painted aboard the S.S. Diamond State, Port of Houston, TX

Black Mother2006Oil on Canvas36" x 24"

Metaphorically, this is a portrait of the artist's Mother fighting cancer.

Painted in Brooklyn, Il at Armour site

"Dixie Machine", Savannah, GA, 2010oil on canvas

Tommy Knocker2007Oil on silk68 x 43

Painted in Federal Mill #3, Leadington, MO

Tommy Knocker Detail

"Tommy Knocker" refers to a benevolent spirit which miners believe knocks on things to warn of an eminent collapse.

My Brothers and Myself2007Oil on canvas60 x 84

Painted at Great Lakes Carbon Factory, Saint Louis, MO

My Brothers and Myself Detail2007oil on canvas

Metaphorically, the "towers" on either side of the flaming barrrel are "stand ins" for the artist's brothers. She depicts herself as the short rusty barrel shooting flames.

Building #128; Loading Dock2005Oil on canvas68 x 72

Painted in Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York City

Building 128, Loading Dock Detail

Building #128 was originally used to build ships in at the turn of the last century.

Building 128, Second Floor2005Oil on canvas64 x 68

Painted in Building #128, Brooklyn, Navy Yard, New York City

Building 128, Second Floor Detail

Green Room2005Oil on canvas

The first version of this painting was stolen from the location a day before it was complete.